This invention relates to nutritional supplements.
The human diet is the subject of many standard texts. Such a diet may include use of dietary supplements, e.g., in the form of pills or liquids, which may include one or more vitamins, minerals, and essential or non-essential amino acids. In addition, it is common for people to alter their diet to change their input of fats or lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates.
It is recognized that the diet of a person may have some affect on their health. For example, Corman, 69 Med. Clin. North Am., 759, 1985 describes the influence of specific nutrients on specific immune mechanisms; Huang et al., 34 Clin. Chem. 1957, 1987 describe malnutrition in persons infected with the virus HIV, manifested by deficiency in several essential nutrients; Herzlich et al, 33 Am. J. Hematol 177, 1990 describe the effect of treatment of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS, caused by HIV infection) with 3'-azido-3' deo-xythiamidine (AZT), including the depletion of folic acid and vitamin B.sub.12, and is unclear "whether the benefit [of folate or vitamin B.sub.12 supplementation] exceeds the risks . . . ;" Moseson et al., 2 J. Acquired Immune Deficiency Symptoms, 235, 1989 state that "recommendations for dietary supplementation in HIV-infected individuals are premature and possibly hazardous;"0 and Roederer et al., 87 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 4884, 1990, suggest N-acetyl-L-cysteine as "a possible therapeutic agent in AIDS."
Glutathione and related compounds are suggested as therapeutic agents by Tognella et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,528, (to treat tumors); Pilotto et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,761,399 (to treat pathologic syndromes); Kitahara et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,808 (to treat necrosis and a multitude of related diseases); Asano et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,968,671 (to treat ischemic heart disease); and Naylor, U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,978 (to lower bodyweight). Reduced glutathione is a free radical scavenger in cells which is usually recycled in vivo from oxidized glutathione with the help of nutrients such as vitamins C, and E, beta-carotene, selenium, and chromium. Some dipeptides, including N-acetyl cysteine are capable of increasing glutathione levels in the plasma (Pilotto et al., supra and Kitahara et al., supra).